Should your Brand be on Snapchat? (No...really)

About a year ago I was socializing with other folks who manage brands on social media, when one jokingly said I should put my brand on Snapchat. We all laughed at the idea of a university engaging in a social media platform used mostly by teenagers for sending "selfies."

But recently, it doesn't look like such a foolish idea. Snapchat has recently received $60 million of investment capital, and boasts over 8 million adult users in the US. Snapchat has also recently added the ability send a snap to as many contacts as you'd like. This functionality makes the platform a practical way for brands to connection with constituents,an idea some brands have already embraced. 

There are applications for higher education as well: a development office could snap pictures of a cold beer to remind young alumni to stop by a local happy hour, or an admissions office could snap a picture of an application to remind perspective students an application deadline was approaching. Because of the curiosity factor (who among us has an unopened snap on our phone?), open rates are likely to be near 100%. 

Three things to consider before putting your brand on Snapchat: 

Who is your audience, and are they on Snapchat?

As with any marketing initiative, you should first consider who your audience is. Is they are young people between the ages of 13 and 23, then your audience is probably already on Snapchat 

Does it fit with your branding?

Snapshat's logo is a dancing ghost with it's tongue sticking out. This captures the light-hearted nature of the messages that are sent through the platform. A disaster relief organization doesn't communicate in a light hearted way about their work, so they shouldn't be on a Snapchat. But a Portland based indy band? Absolutely. 

How will you know if it's working?

Because it is easy to get caught up in "social media for sake of social media," it is critically important that your team define success before the launch of the brand. By it's nature, Snapchat is going to be a "soft" touch, so success may look very simple. Let's revisit the example of the development office snapping a picture of a cold beer to young alumni. If a single alum snaps a picture back with the caption that they are on their way, that office has creatively achieved brand engagement through a platform their audeince was already using--that's a pretty successful start.

Is your brand on Snapchat? Let me know how it's working in the comments, or tweet me: @ColbyCAnderson

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